Emphasis
by silverwolf2002
Summary: Harry walks in on seven of his friends arguing over a rumor that they've heard. Apparently emphasis can affect what a person means by a lot. Fluff!


Harry was walking up to his next class, Divination, which was all the way up that long staircase that Harry had always hated, when suddenly he heard a bunch of loud voices arguing with each other.

Not exactly caring about missing Divination, Harry glanced back up at his class door and ran back down the long staircase, towards the sound of the arguing voices, which, as Harry just realized, all sounded familiar.

Sure enough, as soon as he reached the end of the steps and turned into the great hall from which the voices came from, he wasn't all that surprised to see that he knew all of the people.

Namely, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Seamus, Ginny, Cho, and Lavender, who were all glaring at each other with confusion on their faces.

"What's going on?"

All seven students suddenly turned around with shock as they finally realized that they were no longer alone in the great hall.

"Blimey Harry, at least knock would ya?"

Harry rolled his eyes impatiently at Seamus and banged his fist on the table somewhat sarcastically.

"There. Now will you tell me why you're all yelling at eachother?"

Harry tapped his foot impatiently on the hard tiled floor as Ron and Hermione exchanged a look. Ron sighed and nodded at Hermione.

"Go on, Hermione. If you don't tell him, he'll probably just make it into a bigger deal. Besides, maybe _he_ can clear this thing up."

Hermione nodded slightly at Ron before turning to Harry.

"So. We were just discussing a little... _debate_ we had. We all have different arguments. Care to put in your thoughts?"

Harry looked hesitantly at the seven.

"Um..okay?"

Hermione grinned and motioned at Ginny to speak.

Ginny stepped forwards while everybody else stepped backwards, forming a circle.

"We were all going to class when we heard a voice. We don't know what it meant though."

"What?"

Ginny sighed.

"Well...It could have lots of different meanings. That was what we were arguing about."

Harry tilted his head impatiently and raised an eyebrow.

"And? What did this person say?"

Ginny folded her arms while everybody else stared at Harry intensely.

"Well, we heard this person arguing with some other person. And they said 'I never said she stole my wand.'We don't get what it means."

Harry stared at the rest of the group.

"Isn't it obvious? It means that this person never said she stole her wand or something!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and stepped forwards next to Ginny.

"That's _the point,_ Harry! That might _not_ be what this person said. It all depends on _emphasis!"_

Harry stared at Hermione. This was only getting more confusing.

"What?"

Hermione rolled her eyes again and turned to the other six.

"Alright. Everybody, present your cases. Whichever sentence Harry picks wins! Ron, you go first."

Ron stepped forwards as Hermione and Ginny stepped backwards. He cleared his throat nervously and looked at Harry.

"So. What I think that this person means is that ' _I_ never said she stole my wand'. Emphasis on the I. She probably meant that she wasn't the one who said that the girl stole her wand."

The other six listeners whispered furiously, obviously not satisfied with his answer, unlike Harry, who was nodding.

"Yeah, that's what she meant."

Lavender stepped forwards.

"That's not fair Harry! You have to listen to everybody! Besides, it all depends on the _emphasis."_

Harry sighed. He was getting tired of the word emphasis.

"Anyways, what _I_ think the girl was trying to say was that 'I _never_ said she stole my wand.' Emphasis on the _never._ Isn't it obvious? She meant that she _never ever_ said that anybody stole her wand!"

Harry nodded carefully at Lavender, suddenly unsure of his choice to support Ron. After all, what Lavender was saying sounded likely too. But how could they mean different things? They were all the same sentence!

Ginny suddenly scoffed and stepped forwards.

"Well _I_ think that the emphasis is on the said! As in 'I never _said_ she stole my wand.' As in she probably thought it but never said it! Harry, don't you agree?"

Harry's brain started to hurt. Apparently the same sentence _could_ mean different things.

"Puhleeze, Ginny!"

Seamus stepped forwards and glared at Ginny until she unwillingly stepped backwards into the circle.

"Harry, get ready to hear the _real_ meaning! Cause I'm right! The person obviously said 'I never said _she_ stole my wand!'. As in she didn't mean that _she_ stole her wand. Maybe some other person stole her wand or something! Are you with me Harry!"

Seamus smiled brightly at Harry until Cho, who until that moment had remained silent, stepped in to push Seamus away.

"Are you all stupid? The person obviously meant 'I never said she _stole_ my wand!' As in the she didn't steal the wand! The girl probably just borrowed the wand from the person or something! After all, lets be logical! And yes, Hermione isn't the _only_ one who could be logical! How many people steal wands in Hogwarts? They probably just had a misunderstanding about the wand being stolen! I mean, after all..."

"Alright, Cho! We get it! And don't talk to _me_ about being logical!"

Hermione walked into the circle and nudged Cho out.

"As the smartest one here, I suggest you listen to _me, Harry._ The person probably meant 'I never said she stole _my_ wand!"

Hermione put her hands on her hips.

"As in the wand that was stolen wasn't the person's wand! Right Harry?"

Hermione stared at Harry's eyes, probably trying to intimidate him until Harry raised his arm.

"Alright Hermione, let Neville speak. He's the last one!"

Hermione grudgingly walked out of the circle to let Neville speak.

"Well...I think that...I mean all opinions are good...but...I think that the person meant 'I never said she stole my _wand.'_ Maybe it wasn't a wand that was stolen. Maybe she stole a purse or a pet or something!"

Neville awkwardly smiled at Harry, and then unlike all the others, he stepped out of the circle by himself.

Hermione triumphantly folded her arms and beamed at Harry.

"Now Harry! Tell us which one you think is right!"

Harry looked at Hermione's confident smile, Ron's friendly eyes, Neville's nervous swallowing, Cho's pleading eyes, Lavender's twitching gaze, Seamus's puppy dog eyes, and last but certainly the most terrifying, Ginny's furious unwavering gaze.

Who should he pick? Six would end up hating him or feeling betrayed anyways!

So Harry did the smartest thing anyone could do.

He bolted out of the door and ran all the way up the stairs.

 _To_ Divination class.

Or is it 'to _Divination_ class?'

Or 'to Divination _class?'_

* * *

Hi Silverwolf2002 here! I just wanted to ask you guys to tell me what _you_ think was right through reviews. Do you agree with Ron? Or Hermione? Or would you, like Harry, just run out of that door? Thanks!


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